The Thirteenth Colony
by ChrisVA
Summary: What really happened to Kara Thrace when her Viper exploded? Crossover with DS9.
1. Chapter 1

The Thirteenth Colony

Chapter One

**Just FYI, I set this during ****late ****Season ****5**** of Star Trek: Deep Space 9 ****(just for the heck of it) ****and Season 3 of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica. ****It ties together Kara's fate with the finale of Crossroads, Part II, with the exception of the revelation of the Dylan Four (I can't even begin to understand how we could fit ****that into this story). ****I****t starts off with a focus on DS9, but that will eventually change.**** Neither franchise is mine, or else this would be canon so fast your head would spin. **

**Star Trek is copyright Paramount. BSG is copyright NBC Universal.****No copyright infringement intended. So say we all.**

_Captain's log, stardate __50__6__17.3: The _Defiant_ has been ordered into the Gamma Quadrant, to study a __gas giant__ approximately __1__00 light-years from the wormhole. Due to __the u__nique synchrotron radiation and strategic position near the Dominion, Starfleet Command believes it would serve as a__n excellent__ covert listening post—if __the Jem'Hadar have not acquired it __already._

On the bridge of the Defiant, Captain Benjamin Sisko is sitting in the command chair. Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Dax is at the helm, while Chief Miles O'Brien, Doctor Julian Bashir, Lieutenant Commander Worf, and various other personnel man the other stations.

"Benjamin, we're nearing the planet, but I'm detecting what appear to be dozens of ships in orbit around the gas giant, none with any known configuration."

Sisko looked up with a start. "Very well. Drop us out of warp, and put it up on screen. Chief, cloak the ship."

"Aye sir," the Irishman replied in his typical brogue. On the screen, the crew sees the planet, they notice two things. 1) a large cyclone-like storm on the planet, and 2) dozens of ships in orbit around the planet. One appeared to be a wheel of some sort with a spire in the middle, and another was large, black, and almost appeared to resemble an alligator.

Benjamin stood up with a start and walked towards the helm. "Did they detect us, Old Man?"

The Trill scientist replied, "I don't think so, Benjamin. They don't seem to have anything resembling traditional warp drives."

Bashir chimed in. "But that big black ship has nacelles of some sort, doesn't it?"

Worf pressed several buttons on his tactical console. "I believe that they are not in fact warp engines, but landing bays. I count at least 40 to 50 small craft of various types in these bays, and at least two or three more in the gas giant's primary storm. I believe that it is a type of military vessel, possibly a carrier or battleship. Sensors read a name across one of the nacelles, 'Galactica.'"

Sisko turned to the Klingon. "It must be three times the size of a Galaxy-class ship! Does it pose any threat?"

"No sir. Its technology is extremely substandard, possibly late 21st century at best. No shielding or energy weapons, and its missiles are thermonuclear-based."

Bashir reported from his station. "We have a problem. I'm detected 41,400 humans in and around the planet, not including us."

O'Brien gaped. "Humans, without warp drive, making it 75,000 light-years from Earth to this planet?"

Sisko nodded, "I agree Chief, it is a mystery. Let's assume that this 'Galactica' is their command ship. Open–"

Dax interrupted. "Benjamin, those two small fighters in the storm are getting close to the planetary hard deck. The life-signs in one of them is getting weak."

"We'll just have to hope saving their pilot's lives is a sufficient hello. Take us in, prepare transporters and tractor beams, and let's hope to God our hull can withstand it."

O'Brien looked over. "Sir, it'll be a close one without our shields."

"I know Chief. Let's just hope Dax will get us in and out before we get crushed like a tin can." He smiled at his friend of two lifetimes.

Bashir walked over to Sisko. "Sir, if they don't have warp drive, isn't this a violation of the Prime Directive?"

"Well, they had to have gotten here somehow. Get down to sickbay and prepare for injuries."

The doctor sighed and walked towards the turbolift. "Yes sir."

Upon arriving near the ships, Sisko turned to O'Brien. "Chief, get ready to decloak and tractor these two ships to safety."

He tried, but received only a buzz from the computer. "Sir, we've decloaked, but the radiation is interfering with the tractor. I don't think we can use it."

"Then what about the transporter?"

"Yes sir, I think that can be done."

"All right then, let's do it."

* * *

"Visual!"

Major Lee "Apollo" Adama finally saw the Viper piloted by Captain Kara "Starbuck" Thrace, just over a minute before both of their ships would be crushed by the pressure of the gas giant. He tried to calm her down. "Okay Kara, I'm coming to get you."

The only response on the wireless was Thrace's voice, now peaceful in a way it so rarely was, saying, "Lee, I'll see you on the other side."

"Kara, please, listen to me! Come back."

"Just let me go."

"Godsdamn it, Kara! You come back! Come back!"

"It's okay. Just let me go. They're waiting for me."

If either of them had looked at their DRADIS or up from their cockpit, they might have been able to make out a ship dozens of times larger than each of their fighters, flying above them.

* * *

"Benjamin, if we don't beam her up now, we'll lose her."

"Very well then. Energize."

* * *

Starbuck closed her eyes, as a bright light surrounded her.

Her Viper exploded.

Apollo screamed.

He could barely hear his father, Admiral William Adama and commander of the battlestar _Galactica_, yell on the wireless for him to pull his ship up.

* * *

In the _Defiant_ sickbay, a woman in a helmet and flight suit was beamed onto a biobed, badly burned and injured. Doctor Bashir and two orderlies quickly came to her aid.

"All right, let's get this uniform off of her and get her stabilized. What are her vitals?"

The nurse handed him a PADD. He shook his head and touched his communicator pin.

"Sickbay to bridge. Captain, it's a human female in her late twenties. She's got third-degree burns on 85 of her body, and plenty of other injuries, including some old and new. I can stabilize her, but I don't have all the tools I need here to fix her completely. We need to take her back to DS9, and we need to do it now."

"Doctor, you were the one complaining about the Prime Directive. Kidnapping her from her people does not sound exactly like upholding it."

"I know sir, but if their medicine is anything like the rest of their technology, she won't have a chance."

On the bridge, Sisko closed his eyes and thought for a moment. "Very well Julian, do what you can. Sisko out. Dax, cloak the ship and lay in a course for DS9, warp 7."

Dax shook her head. In a former life, she was a diplomat, and she did not agree with this, but as an officer the only thing she could say was, "Aye sir."


	2. Chapter 2

The Thirteenth Colony Chapter Two

**Same disclaimer applies as before. In this chapter, Kara meets Earthlings, and Starfleet. Oh, and see if you can spot the in-joke to BSG!**

_Three days later_

Kara Thrace opened her eyes. Everything was bright. It felt like she had been out for a long time. Especially since she was not in her flight suit or her Viper, but instead in a gown on some sort of bed.

And then she looked around her.

This was not a Colonial ship. It was also definitely not the _Galactica_ sickbay, either, unless Cottle had decided to give it a weird mix of Aquarian, Scorpian, and Libran architecture, then paint it Canceron brown. Neither were the computers Colonial, or Cylon from what little she had seen of their technology.

She only could say one thing: "Where the hell am I?"

Starbuck saw a man not much older than her rush over. He was wearing a black uniform with gray quilted shoulders and a blue-green turtleneck underneath it, with two pips on the side of the collar and a decorative pin of some sort on his breast. He wasn't any Cylon that she knew of, but there were five models that no one had seen.

"Hello, my name is Dr. Julian Bashir, and you're aboard the Federation Starbase Deep Space 9. You certainly gave us quite a scare, you've been out for almost three days. Can you tell me your name, miss…?"

"My name is Captain Kara Thrace of the Colonial Fleet, serial number 462753. Now who the hell are you, 'Doctor?' Is this another Cylon trick?"

Bashir smirked. "Well Captain Thrace, you certainly are lucky to be alive. That sort of demanding inquisitiveness must be a form of gratitude where you're from. I don't know anything about any 'Cylons,' whatever they are, but I can tell you a little bit about myself. I was born on the planet Earth, in the year 2341 to Richard and—"

Thrace went pale. Slowly and deliberately, she interrupted by asking, "Where did you say you were from?"

Bashir looked surprised. "Earth, capital of the United Federation of Planets. Why, is that important Captain?"

She leaned up until their noses almost touched. "Doctor, if you're lying, I will kill you. If you're not, you must take me back to my people, because you may have saved them. Now, that looks like a uniform, so where's your commander?"

"I'll take you to him right now."

Starbuck was led by Bashir into what appeared to be their version of CIC. She saw people of various uniforms, half of them were similar to Bashir's, while other wore some sort of solid-color jumpsuit, and all were running stations. A quick glance confirmed there were more than twelve individuals there, and none looked like Cylons. "Definitely not Colonial technology," she whispered. She walked up to one console, and ran her hand over it. It was a touch-screen interface and looked very alien. Maybe they are from Earth after all….

"Excuse me, but this is my post, and it is restricted to authorized personnel only."

She looked up to see who was talking to her, and nearly fell over in fright. It appeared to be a black man well over six feet tall, wearing one of Bashir's uniforms with a red collar, and he had a silver sash over it, but that wasn't strange. What was strange was that his forehead has a large series of ridges in the middle of it. He almost looked like some sort of demon from the Scriptures.

"What are you?"

"My name is Lieutenant Commander Worf, the station's strategic operations officer. I am a Klingon."

She blinked. "Right. An alien," she shakily pronounced.

"May I assume you are not familiar with intelligent non-human species?"

"Not exactly."

Another black man looked up from a command table and jogged up to Worf and Starbuck. He presumably was the commander. "Ah, you must be Julian's mysterious patient. I'm Captain Benjamin Sisko, commander of Deep Space 9. You are…?"

"Captain Kara Thrace, my call sign is Starbuck, so most people call me that. I take your rank structure isn't exactly the same as ours, I'm three or four ranks short of commanding a base."

Sisko laughed heartily. "I understand Starbuck. Let's go and debrief you." He touched that same pin on his chest that everyone had and announced, "Sisko to all senior staff, please report to the wardroom in five minutes."

Starbuck looked around and saw Worf and a redheaded woman wearing a solid red uniform follow them. She noticed that this woman had what looked like a wrinkled nose. Another alien?

"Easy Thrace, no reason to get excited," she muttered to herself as she followed these people.

Introductions were made: the redhead turned out to be first officer Kira Nerys, a Bajoran whose people shared the station with this Federation; Lt. Cdr. Jadzia Dax, a Trill and the station's science officer; Odo, a shapeshifting security chief; and finally another human, operations Chief Miles O'Brien, who sounded vaguely Aerelon.

Starbuck quickly spoke up. "So what is this Federation of yours?"

O'Brien was the first to respond. "The United Federation of Planets was founded 212 years ago as a cooperative for mutual defense and trade. All of us here, with the exception of Major Kira, are officers in Starfleet, the Federation's primary arm for defense, diplomacy, research, and exploration. There are currently over 150 members representing dozens of species, but humans are among the most predominant."

"And Earth is a part of it?"

Worf chimed in, "Yes, Earth was a founding member, and its capital."

"May I see it?"

Sisko walked up to the wardroom monitor and brought up an image of Earth. Starbuck jumped up from her chair and went to the screen, touching it reverently. She turned to the officers and said, "You have no idea what this means to my people."

Sisko asked, "And who exactly are your people?"

"We call ourselves the Twelve Colonies of Kobol, a society of twelve tribes who settled on twelve planets which we believe to have descended from the planet Kobol. There was a thirteenth tribe, who settled on a planet which our Scriptures say orbited a 'far and distant star.' This planet was called Earth."

Bashir jumped in, "Why were your people looking for Earth? And why were there over 40 thousand? Why not just your one ship, Galactica?"

She sighed. "We were attacked by Cylons, artificially intelligent robots invented a couple generations back to make life easier. So, the Cylons were created by man, but then they rebelled. The First Cylon War was 50-odd years ago, lasted over a decade, and eventually led to an uneasy truce. Then, without so much as a peep for over forty years they returned and destroyed every one of our colonies, over 20 billion people. The 41,000 people left in that fleet is all that's left of our civilization."

The others in the room gasped, dismayed. She continued, "But that's not all. These Cylons, they evolved, so now they look and feel human, down to the cellular level. Some are even programmed to think they are human. There are twelve individual forms each Cylon can take. For each form, there are many copies; whenever a Cylon dies, it just downloads into a new body." She shivered at the thought of the Cylon Leoben, and what he did to her on New Caprica.

Odo nodded gravely. "Continue."

"Well, that's about it. These Cylons, they have a plan, or about four or five depending on who you ask. They've infiltrated our fleet and started to reproduce. We settled on one planet for about a year, then they came and enslaved us; we barely got out of there. We started with just over 50,000, and that was only two years ago. Now we're in a race to find Earth before they do."

Kira asked her, "Captain Thrace, what about the political leadership of the fleet?"

"Well, there are two main people you would need to know about: Admiral William Adama, the commander of _Galactica_, the one military ship we have left, and President Laura Roslin. She was Secretary of Education on her way to _Galactica's_ decommissioning ceremony when the attack happened. Everyone else in the executive cabinet was killed, so she was left in charge. The Admiral told the fleet only a couple days after the attack that we would be looking for Earth, but he was lying; as far as anyone in the government had known, Earth was a myth. Then the president started taking chamalla to fight her cancer, it's a kind of hallucinogenic drug. She started getting visions, and we started finding artifacts and markers in space and on various planets proving that Earth was real, and showing us the way. We were refueling at that gas giant to make the next leg of our trip, to what we call the Ionian Nebula."

Sisko stood in front of the screen, which now showed a map of the galaxy, and pointed to various spots. "All right Captain, Earth is here and DS9 is here. We traveled through an artificial wormhole to this region of the galaxy, to this planet where you and your fleet were located."

"Yes, that looks like it."

"We will be taking you back to your fleet, and initiating first contact with your people. Do you know where the Ionian Nebula is?"

"Yes, I think so. May I…?"

"Certainly."

She walked over, zoomed in, and panned over. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's the nebula."

Dax studied it. "It's only a Mutura-class nebula. We could warp right in, wait for them, and make contact."

Starbuck raised an eyebrow. "Warp?" she asked sarcastically.

"Yes, it's our method of faster-than-light propulsion. Chief O'Brien can show you later. How long do you think it will take them to get there?"

"Maybe… two months or so?"

Sisko was sitting in his chair, thinking. With a start he looked up at Starbuck and said, "That would be enough time for you to make a visit to Earth and present this information to Starfleet Command and the Federation Council personally, as well as for us make all the necessary diplomatic preparations, and then we can travel to this nebula. Would you be interested in that?"

Her jaw dropped. "Sure, I don't think I'd mind being the first Colonial to visit Earth." She laughed.

Kira responded, "What's so funny?"

Starbuck had a far-off look, remembering the dream she had in her Viper. "My mom always said I had a destiny."


	3. Chapter 3

The Thirteenth Colony Chapter Three

**Same disclaimer applies as before. In this chapter, Kara visits Earth. I kinda wanted to hurry along and get her back to the fleet, so I apologize for the log rushing it over. The Viper scene was a bit hard to do textually also, so I apologize for that as well. And oh yeah, the super-huge wait for it. Real life's been getting in the way, even though I know what I want to happen. I am getting a bit of inspiration from "He That Believeth in Me," including a retroactive edit of Chapter Two Hope you enjoy it!**

_One week later_

Kara was shaking.

She knew she shouldn't; she was a soldier, a Colonial Viper pilot, and possibly the best one alive. Over the past two days, she, Sisko, Dax, and Bashir had been cramped in the runabout _Shenandoah_, named after some river on Earth. They had helped her compose a briefing she would give to Starfleet Command regarding her society, while they had given her information about Earth history and technology. Dax had even helped her replicate a Colonial "dress blue" uniform down to every last detail, with the added bonus of a round communicator pin engraved with the Colonial logo.

And now they were finally in orbit around Earth. They neared the massive Spacedock complex; for over 150 years, it had been the hub for all Starfleet ships. Kara tried to take in the home of the thirteenth colony of man. Her joy spread to the Starfleet officers, enjoyed showing off the planet.

"This is amazing."

Dax smirked, and wryly replied, "You ain't seen nothing yet, Captain." She did a slow barrel roll, allowing Kara to get a glimpse of Earth's moon (somewhat similar to the one over Picon), as well as other ships flying around the system.

Kara noticed a few ships. "What's that big long one?"

Sisko turned to where she was pointing. "That's the _Enterprise_, the Federation flagship. They're undergoing repairs—they were recently in a battle." His expression turned cold at this. She noticed, and wisely turned her attention to other ships.

"That green one, is it human?"

"No, it's a Klingon Bird-of-Prey, it belongs to Worf's people."

"That big red one with the ring?"

Bashir grinned. "Vulcans. They were the first aliens humans met, 310 years ago."

Sisko turned to Starbuck and with a faux-serious tone and remarked, "Alright Captain, we've shown you all eight planets, we've given you a full orbit of this little planet of the doctor's and mine, now it's time for you to actually step foot on it. Dax, land this bird in Spacedock."

"Aye aye, sir," she replied in a similar pitch.

They moved in. Kara was quick to listen to the comm traffic between Sisko and Spacedock. Once inside, her attention was drawn to the gleaming silver vessels. The _Shenandoah_ landed in a bay on the outer edge of Spacedock, meant for shuttles, runabouts, and other small support vessels. She quickly noticed that not only were there Starfleet personnel in the bay, they were not wearing EVA suits! Her eyes grew wide, and Bashir noticed.

"Ah. We use force-field technology, it keeps the atmosphere in."

She gaped. The Thirteenth Colony definitely has the capability to make the Cylons pay for what they did to their brethren.

Once the ship finally landed, the officers stood up. Sisko turned to Kara and said, "Well Starbuck, are you ready to beam down?"

She was still shaking, and gripped the data PADD for her briefing tightly. "I don't know sir, I've never done it before—well, at least not while I was conscious or willing."

Bashir gave her a reassuring smile and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry Captain, we've all done it hundreds of times. It's as natural as walking."

She nodded. "Well, I was always known as the most reckless person on _Galactica_. May I?" Then, without getting any of their permission, she grinned, touched her pin, and quickly called out, "Computer: four to beam down to Starfleet Command."

A few seconds later, four columns of light expanded and deposited them in a grassy field outside the complex. The Starfleet officers' eyes had grown large in shock.

She attempted to apologize, but not very well. "Sorry Captain, I couldn't pass up the opportunity."

He had recovered, but barely. "It's alright Miss Thrace. I'm just glad I didn't have anything to take with me; at least, nothing that I can't get later. Just remember to _ask_ next time, understood?"

She was still grinning and breathing heavily from the rush. "Yes sir." Then it hit her.

She was standing on Earth soil.

The first of her people to do so.

Her knees failed her, and she collapsed on the ground. The others tried to help her, but she waved them off, breathlessly praying, "Thank you Lords of Kobol. May I be worthy of this blessing you have bestowed upon me."

_Captain's log, supplemental. Captain Thrace has presented her case first before Admiral Nechayev, then before all of Starfleet Command, including Fleet Admiral Quinn. Even President Jaresh-Inyo sat in on the proceedings, a rarity for him. They have unanimously approved our plan to make first contact with the Colonial fleet as soon as possible, and have allowed the crew of the _Defiant_ to lead the charge to the Ionian Nebula. We will do so as soon as we return to DS9, and when Chief O'Brien completes a little construction project, as part of Thrace's plan to make first contact. For now, we are celebrating at my father's restaurant in New Orleans._

Joseph Sisko came and set four bowls down in front of them. "Four bowls of my chicken and shrimp gumbo, just the way Ben likes it. Now you eat up Miss Starbuck, you look like you haven't had a real meal for years!"

She weakly nodded. "That's just about right, sir."

"Well, all the more reason. When you want some more, let me know."

As he walked off, she quickly bowed in a silent prayer. Though the others did not believe in the gods, they respectfully waited. Once finished, Thrace took a tentative spoonful. Her eyes started to water, and she barely got it down. The others looked amused.

Sisko smirked. "Something the matter, Starbuck?"

"No sir, just thinking how I'm gonna bring all of my friends here for this." She gave the same wicked grin which led to their surprise beaming earlier. "Six months of algae paste tends to dull your taste buds."

Bashir made a face. "I still cannot get over that. I doubt it's very nutritious."

"Well, we never exactly came across a steak and potatoes planet. And besides Doc, you'll get to taste it for yourself before too long," she winked, as they laughed and dug in.

A month later, Kara stood inside one of DS9's landing pads, traditionally used for the runabouts. It was currently vacant since the recent destruction of the one by the Bashir Changeling. She was briefed by Chief O'Brien and his Ferengi assistant, Cadet Nog. Around them, other Starfleet and Bajoran engineers were watching.

"As I was saying ma'am, we have attempted to replicate one of your Viper ships as best we can with our sensor data collected during our first encounter with your people. Do you believe this will appear close enough to a real one?"

She looked over the engines. "It is remarkably accurate, but Chief, these engines aren't exactly the same."

"No sir, they're basically impulse engines that would've been used for shuttlecraft. We had no problem installing them, and they will actually be faster than your original Viper, as well as letting you be more independent in takeoffs and landings."

"Okay. How's the cockpit?"

"See for yourself."

She climbed up the attached ladder, and sat in the chair. "Gods, you mimicked it perfectly. How the hell did you do this?"

"We were within 50 meters of your original Viper, ma'am. Despite the radiation, our sensors are a bit more precise than your dradis. We were able to analyze the circuits within about 80, and in the process made a few minor upgrades."

"I can see that, Mr. O'Brien."

Nog quickly chimed in, "Captain Thrace, if I may ask, what is the point of all this?"

"An unknown ship comes out of nowhere, and they'll likely think it's a Cylon trick. You need me as a herald, Cadet."

"But won't they think you're a Cylon?"

"That's just a risk I'll have to take. That and the fact it looks like it came off of the showroom floor. You couldn't have dinged it up a bit, Chief?"

"Apologies, ma'am. I do think you'll like this a bit more." He grabbed a nearby briefcase, and opened it up. "Your flight suit. The tailor on the Promenade, Mr. Garak, repaired it."

She grinned. "Well then, I'll have to thank this Garak fellow later. For now, how about a test flight?"

O'Brien nodded and called out to his team, "Okay people, let's suit her up and clear the deck."

Major Kira stood in Ops at the table. O'Brien had taken his familiar post, as had Dax and Worf. "Ops to Starbuck, do you read?"

"Ops. Starbuck, I copy. Ready when you are."

"Understood. We're watching you on our main viewer. Stand by, we're raising the bay doors now." She turned to O'Brien and nodded, as he pushed the necessary controls.

As she started to see the stars, Kara looked around, at the expanse of the station. "It's good to be back out here. Okay Major, I'm releasing mag-lock, and firing the engines."

The faux-Viper roared to life. In Ops, Dax read her console. "Nerys, she's doing loops all over the station. I don't think she was kidding with her piloting skills, and I'd bet she's giving the folks on the Promenade and the Habitat Ring quite a show."

Worf looked concerned. "If she does not cease these … tricks, she will most likely cause an accident and injure herself again." As if on cue, she did the equivalent of a nosedive straight towards the _Defiant_, then at the last second pulled up and away. The Klingon let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding.

Dax raised an eyebrow towards her Klingon _par'mach'kai_. "What's wrong, Worf, can't handle a little excitement?"

Kara looked down and noticed something. "Hate to interrupt your oh-so-witty banter, but I see you didn't exactly give me bullets to fire here, Chief." She pressed a button on the joystick, and immediately twin bolts of red-orange energy lanced out into empty space. She laughed as she saw it.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this just might work after all."


	4. Chapter 4

The Thirteenth Colony Chapter Four

**Same disclaimer applies as before. In this chapter, they return to the nebula. We also return to the fleet, and as Worf would say, "There will be a glorious battle."**

_Two weeks later_

Starbuck stood on the _Defiant_ bridge, in her repaired flight suit, as the ship traveled from warp towards the Ionian Nebula. The rest of their crew manned their usual posts. Dax spoke up.

"Benjamin, we're coming to the nebula."

"Drop us out of warp, and take us in at half impulse."

She braced herself, but just like when they traveled through the wormhole, and when they jumped to warp before, there was no major difference. She looked at Sisko. "Well sir, this sure is a lot different than our faster-than-light system."

"How so?"

"This one doesn't hurt like hell."

He chuckled, but he stopped short as on the viewer, several dozen bright flashes appeared on the screen. "Speak of the devil. Okay Starbuck, show time. Get down to the shuttle bay, and get ready to launch.

But as she was heading to the turbolift, O'Brien spoke up. "Hold on, Captains, I'm reading massive power fluctuations throughout the entire fleet. It's as if every ship's power grid went out."

Thrace gaped. "Could it have been something in the nebula?"

Dax worked the sensor array. "Doubtful, unless the gases in the nebula somehow interacted with the jump engines. I'd need a detailed schematic to know for sure."

"Can it be repaired? They can't have come out here just to suffocate in those ships!"

"If that was the case, it may clear up of its own accord in about… 20 minutes or so."

Sisko turned to the Colonial. "Just enough time to get ready and get out there. We'll cloak the ship. Now go, Captain, that's an order." As an aside, he muttered, "Never thought I'd ever get to order around a Captain like that."

"The power outage was fleet-wide, Admiral." Dualla then turned to Admiral Adama, the apprehension evident in her voice. "It was also simultaneously restored to all ships."

The DRADIS scanner beeped, as President Roslin got his attention. "Admiral! Admiral!"

Lieutenant Felix Gaeta saw the same thing, frantically calling out, "Massive Cylon fleet on intercept course."

The crew simultaneously jumped into action. "Mr. Gaeta, sound Action Stations immediately." Turning to Captain Karl "Helo" Agathon, "XO, I want an emergency jump of the entire fleet."

He shook his head. "All fleet ships were powered down during the outage. It'll take at least 20 minutes to spool up the FTL drives."

Letting the hopelessness creep into his voice for the first time since the battle over New Caprica, he declared, "We just don't have 20 minutes."

"Sisko to Starbuck, be advised we count at least four, maybe five, ships of a configuration matching that of the Cylon basestar you described, as well as at least 200 of the smaller fighter-type craft."

"Frak," she whispered in her cockpit. "What are they saying on the wireless?" She turned her Viper's comm. system on to hear Lt. Gaeta announce, "--report to Vipers immediately, inbound Cylon fleet. I repeat, Action Stations, Action Stations, set Condition One throughout the ship, this is not a drill."

While relieved to hear a Colonial, she was dismayed at what was about to happen. "Petty Officer, launch this bird. Captain Sisko, get ready to use those bright, shiny Federation weapons you've got."

"Whoa! What the frak?!" Lee "Apollo" Adama kept getting turned around by the unknown bogie. At one point, it almost looked like two, a Viper-sized one and a much larger one. He used his "Mark One Eyeball," as they called it, to look around his Viper, but to no avail… until he saw a pristine Mark II Viper flying port, and the one person (save his brother) he never thought he'd see again.

"Hi Lee."

"Kara?"

She laughed, a laugh he hadn't heard for a long time.

"It's gonna be okay. I've been to Earth. I know where it is. And I'm gonna take us there."

He nearly became the first Viper pilot to die of a stroke while in the cockpit. "No no no, this is frakking crazy. I saw your ship blow up."

"'Fraid not." Then she shrugged. "Okay, the ship blew up, but I'm still here. Didn't you hear me? I've been to _Earth_!"

Lee was aghast. "Earth?"

"Big blue sky, puffy white clouds. You'll love it, I promise."

Meanwhile, Lee's father Admiral Bill Adama, also almost had a stroke at that same moment. He growled out, "Identify that bird immediately!"

Gaeta rapidly flipped switches. "Checking … receiving Colonial recognition codes. They're authentic."

Helo frowned. "That's her voice, alright."

Roslin shook her head. "No, just stay calm everyone. It has to be a trick."

Adama looked to Lt. Dualla. "Get Lee online!"

Frustrated, Apollo's ex-wife muttered, "Trying, sir." Meanwhile, they heard his ask, _"Okay, if your ship blew up, where'd you get this bright, shiny, new one."_

Starbuck grinned and pointed up. _"Thank them. Starbuck to _Defiant_, go ahead and decloak."_

Gaeta yelled out, "Sir, I have another player, approximately five times the size of a Heavy Raider, no codes, no known configuration."

Tigh, seemingly out of it, gaped. "What the hell? Do you believe in miracles?"

Adama grimaced. "No."

Onboard the _Defiant_, Sisko listened to the exchange with some humor. "Dax, all this aside, what's the status of the Cylons?"

"No change, sir."

Kira turned to her commander, "Sir, we're receiving transmission from the Colonials, audio only."

"Put it through."

For the first time, they heard the gravelly voice of the admiral. "This is Admiral William Adama of the battlestar _Galactica_. You will identify yourself or be fired upon."

Sisko pressed a button on his console. "Admiral sir, this is Captain Benjamin Sisko of the starship _Defiant_, representing Earth and the United Federation of Planets. We will assist you in any way possible."

A pause, and then, "You can start by helping us with the armada assembled against us."

"We would be delighted to, sir. We would recommend your Vipers and Raptors take up a defensive position around the fleet, while we do the heavy lifting. Sisko out." Then turning to Kira, he said, "Open a channel to the Cylons."

"Yes sir, you're on."

All business, he called out, "This is Captain Benjamin Sisko of the starship _Defiant_. I am from Earth, which is a member of the United Federation of Planets. We have no qualm with your people, but as our human cousins, the Colonials have our full protection. Our weapons and defensive technologies are far superior to yours. We ask that you withdraw as we escort the Colonial fleet to Federation territory. Any hostile action will be dealt with every ounce of power we have at our disposal. You have thirty seconds to comply by jumping away. _Defiant_ out."

Onboard the main Cylon basestar, the six models looked at each other. Number Two, known to the humans as Cavil, was fuming. "This is all some sort of elaborate trick or bluff. Just because we've never seen this ship before in the fleet does not mean it's safe to assume he's from Earth."

Number Five nodded. "That ship is so small. One nuke could easily take care of it."

Number Four, known as Leoben, said, "Agreed."

Number Six fell in as well. "Agreed.

Number Seven, known as Simon, concurred. "Agreed."

Number Eight looked at the others finally before closing her eyes. "Firing at the ship."

Sisko looked calm. "Mr. Worf, shields up." He then touched his communicator pin. "Sisko to Starbuck, you'll want to bring your Viper and your friend's inside the ship."

"Affirmative sir. C'mon Lee, we can watch the fireworks from inside."

The CIC onboard _Galactica_ had heard the whole exchange. Gaeta turned to the Admiral. "Radiological alarm! Sir, Cylons are launching nukes towards the _Defiant_. 200+ Raiders are also aimed at them!"

Roslin closed her eyes. "Gods, what if this is true? We could be losing our only hope at finding Earth, Bill."

Tory Foster, the President's aide, stared at the monitor. "It doesn't even look like they're trying to run."

Tigh looked closer. "I think there's some kind of interference protecting the ship."

Gaeta looked at his tactical monitor. "Two minutes until the missile hits _Defiant_."

Lee looked around the turbolift, a cramped elevator inside the ship, and immediately hugged Thrace as if she was his lifesaver. "Gods, I missed you."

Thrace, clearly touched but uncomfortable, slowly pulled away. "Yeah, me too. Now don't get all soft on the Starfleet boys, okay? You've gotta see this."

They entered the bridge, as they calmly faced the hundreds of missiles and Raiders. Lee paniced, "Whoa, why isn't anyone doing anything?!"

A black bald man with a goatee turned around. "Ah, you must be Major Adama, callsign 'Apollo.' Major, I'm Captain Benjamin Sisko, commander of the _Defiant_. And don't worry, everything will be alright."

Thrace whispered, "Their captain is our commander."

He nodded, "Yeah, but I'm still a little worried."

A man with an Aerelon accent and curly light hair turned to Sisko. "Sir, the missiles will impact in three, two, one."


End file.
